[RESOLVED] visual pinball... mapping the escape key

[8trek]

I have been experimenting with creating an ahk script to remap the escape key so that when i hit the normal button on my cabinet that quits a mame game will do the same thing for a visual pinball game. I have yet to come up with a good solution. The best I've come up with is a simple remapping script that's always on but unfortunately makes closing out of mame games not work but will work with the pinball games. I've tried to include lines in the script that only make the remap enabled if it detects visual pinball is running but not having any luck.

Can someone out there tell me what the prefered method of doing this is? I'm hoping it's much simpler than what i'm making it and i can just add something into the gameex.ini file.

[nullPointer]

I would recommend using Howard Casto's wrapper for Visual Pinball (the download link is in his signature). Among other things, it will allow you to exit Visual Pinball via the escape key. It will also help to prevent a lot of the headaches typically associated with running Visual Pinball through a frontend. Definitely a handy tool to have in your arsenal!

[8trek]

Tried several different links on his site and none of them work. I'm really not interested in all the other stuff he lists anyway and would prefer a more simpler solution...... anyone else please?

[nullPointer]

Ahem ... well, perhaps you may be interested in some actual key mapping software. I would go so far as to say that Xpadder is the most popular 3rd party solution around here. It's a paid application but it's a steal for the functionality you get. If Xpadder isn't your bag you could also try Joy2Key.

You can also map keys natively in GameEx through an Advanced Emulator Confg. Here's a really basic run down of how that works. You can access the Advanced Config Editor in the Setup Wizard on the Advanced Emulator Setup page (Click the "..." button for the Advanced Config entry).

[8trek]

Well, I've never really spent time trying to figure that line out in the config although I've been using the Vpinball 6 setting all this time thinking it was normal for virtual pinball. I've just glazed over the many similar looking files in that folder and have that feeling "here we go again" trying to figure the next thing out. Okay, so bottom line all I need to do is when in vpinball or in daphne I need the "]" key to equate to the escape key..... that's it. Can someone just tell me what the line should look like and where it should go?

thanks.

[Draco1962]

8trek - You need to start giving us more to work with and, if I might say, work on your responses a little when someone is attempting to assist you. Good etiquette goes a long way towards others wanting to assist you.

You must keep in mind that GameEx is a frontend - not an emulator. There is a limit as to what you may be able to input or edit in the gameex.ini file as its purpose is to prvide the initialization settings required for the front end proper. You may need to provide us with a copy of your emulator's config file. This is not one of those things that is going to be simple and is going to take some work on your part to learn the emulator you are attempting to setup and ensure that it is working outside of GameEx first. If so, then you need to let us know that up front.

[8trek]

Sorry if I seemed a little pushy, didn't mean for it to come out that way. I appreciate everyone's help up to this point.

Regarding this thread, I attempted several different things built into GameEX but nothing did what I wanted. I just recently figured out an ahk script that accomplishes what I set out to do. In case anyone reading this is curious, here's the script....

SetTitleMatchMode 2

;CASE SENSITIVE

#IfWinActive Visual Pinball Player

]::Send {Escape}

#IfWinActive DAPHNE

]::Send {Escape}

I then added this script to the startup folder so it's always running when you log in.

[Tempest]

Thanks for posting a solution.

[8trek]

you're welcome.... that one was a doozy, literally tried about 50 different things. funny how something that looks that simple was the answer. ahk is about as complex as they come and there is usually about a dozen different ways to accomplish the same thing but not always the same result depending on the situation.

[nullPointer]

Nice script 8trek. Glad you got everything sorted.

As a final bit of housekeeping we often recommend that the user mark their thread as [RESOLVED] once they’ve solved the issue reported in the thread. That way a future user is also more likely to see and benefit from your script. Obviously this is not a requirement, but it does act as a service to other forum users. You can mark the thread as resolved by editing the first post in the thread and using “More Reply Options” to alter the title of the thread (typically to append [RESOLVED] to the beginning of the thread title).

Thank you sir!

[8trek]

done.

Edited August 6, 2012 by Draco1962
This thread is now marked as Resolved and has been closed. If the problem re-occurs, please start a new thread.